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Ryan J. Eckert
Coral reef ecology, mesophotic coral ecosystems, molecular ecology
Education
Ph.D. Student in Integrative Biology
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
expected 2024 - 2019
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Voss
M.Sc. in Biological Sciences
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
2019 - 2017
Thesis: Population genetics and algal symbiont communities of the coral species Montastraea cavernosa on the Belize Barrier Reef
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Voss
B.Sc. in Biological Sciences
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
2009 - 2005
Thesis: Associational resistance and susceptibility in Solanum carolinense
Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant
FAU, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Ft. Pierce, FL
Present - 2017
Voss Laboratory
Research Specialist
NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks NMS
Galveston, TX
2017 - 2009
Science Division
Research Assistant
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
2009 - 2007
Underwood Laboratory
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Ft. Pierce, FL
2017
Marine Biodiversity
Guest Lecturer
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX
2014 - 2013
Scientific Diving Field Survey Methods
Instructor
Galveston Independent School District
Galveston, TX
2010
21st Century ACE
Students Mentored
Emily Chei
Link fellowship intern
Assessing population connectivity of the coral Montastraea cavernosa along the northern Florida Reef Tract
N/A
2018
Currently a student at Cornell University
Ashley Reaume
Link fellowship intern
Optimized extraction and amplification of algal symbiont DNA from TRIzol preserved corals
N/A
2017
Currently a graduate student at University of Central Florida
Refereed Publications
11. Depth influences Symbiodiniaceae associations among
Montastraea cavernosa corals on the Belize Barrier Reef
Front Microbiol (2020). doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00518
N/A
2020
Eckert RJ, Reaume AM, Sturm AB, Studivan MS, and Voss JD
10. Population structure of the scleractinian coral, Montastraea cavernosa, in Southeast Florida
Bull Mar Sci (2020). doi:10.5343/bms.2019.0074
N/A
2020
Dodge DL, Studivan MS, Eckert RJ, Chei E, Beal J, Voss JD
9. Populations of the coral species Montastraea cavernosa on the Belize Barrier Reef lack vertical connectivity
Sci Rep (2019). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-43479-x
N/A
2019
Eckert RJ, Studivan MS, Voss JD
Citations: 166
h-index: 7
i10-index: 6
8. The Mesoamerican Reef
In: Loya Y, Puglise KA, Bridge TCL (eds) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the World. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 71–84. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_5
N/A
2019
Gress E, Voss JD, Eckert RJ, Rowlands G, Andradi-Brown DA
7. Coral bleaching and recovery from 2016 to 2017 at East and West Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico
Coral Reefs (2019). doi:10.1007/s00338-019-01788-7
N/A
2019
Johnston MA, Hickerson EL, Nuttall MF, Blakeway RD, Sterne TK, Eckert RJ, Schmahl GP
6. Localized coral reef mortality event at East Flower Garden Bank, Gulf of Mexico
Bull Mar Sci (2019). doi:10.5343/bms.2018.0057
N/A
2019
Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Eckert RJ, Blakeway RD, Sterne TK, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP, Lee MT, MacMillan J, Embesi JA
5. Seasonal variability of carbonate chemistry and decadal changes in waters of a marine sanctuary in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
Mar Chem (2018). doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2018.07.006
N/A
2018
Hu X, Nuttall MF, Wang H, Yao H, Staryk CJ, McCutcheon MR, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA, Johnston MA, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP, Manzello D, Enochs IC, DiMarco S, Barbero L
4. Persistence of coral assemblages at East and West Flower
Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico
Coral Reefs (2016). doi:10.1007/s00338-016-1452-x
N/A
2016
Johnston MA, Embesi JA, Eckert RJ, Nuttall MF, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
3. Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfishes Pterois volitans
(Linnaeus, 1758) and P. miles (Bennett, 1828) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico, documented in multiple data sets
BioInvasions Rec (2016). doi:10.3391/bir.2016.5.2.09
N/A
2016
Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA, Sterne TK, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
2. Lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miles
[Bennett, 1828]) records within mesophotic depth ranges on
natural banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
BioInvasions Rec (2014). doi:10.3391/bir.2014.3.2.09
N/A
2014
Nuttall MF, Johnston MA, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
1. Flower Garden Banks – A refuge in the Gulf of Mexico?
In: Yellowlees D, Hughes TP (eds) Proceedings of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (2012).
N/A
2012
Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP, Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Embesi JA, Eckert RJ
Manuscripts in preparation
Population genetic structure of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, across the Cuban archipelago with comparisons between microsatellite and SNP markers
Sci Rep (in press).
N/A
N/A
Sturm AB, Eckert RJ, González Méndez J, González Díaz SP, Voss, JD
Quantifying impacts of stony coral tissue loss disease on corals in Southeast Florida through surveys and 3D photogrammetry
PLoS ONE (in rewiew).
N/A
N/A
Combs IR, Studivan MS, Eckert RJ, Voss JD
Benthic community composition of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, with comparisons to Flower
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Front Mar Sci (in prep).
N/A
N/A
Voss JD, Studivan MS, Eckert RJ, Williams MA, Clark RD
Technical Reports
Stetson Bank Long-term monitoring: 2016 annual report
Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-19-02. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, FGBNMS, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2018
Nuttall MF, Sterne TK, Eckert RJ, Hu X, Sinclair J, Hickerson EL, Embesi JA, Johnston MA, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks: 2016 annual report
Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-17-09. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, FGBNMS, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2017
Johnston MA, Sterne TK, Eckert RJ, Nuttall MF, Embesi JA, Walker RD, Hu X, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at Stetson Bank, Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary, 2015 annual report
Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-17- 06. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, FGBNMS, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2017
Johnston MA, Sterne TK, Eckert RJ, Nuttall MF, Embesi JA, Walker RD, Hu X, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 2013–2015, volume 1: technical report
U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study BOEM 2017-058.
N/A
2017
Johnston MA, Eckert RJ, Nuttall MF, Sterne TK, Embesi JA, Manzello DP, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks: 2015 annual report
U.S. Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-16-02. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2016
Johnston MA, Eckert RJ, Sterne TK, Nuttall MF, Hu X, Embesi JA, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary: 2014 annual report
U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, FGBNMS, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2015
Johnston MA, Sterne TK, Eckert RJ, Nuttall MF, Embesi JA, Walker RD, Hu X, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary, 2011–2012, volume 1: technical report
U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. OCS Study BOEM 2015-027.
N/A
2015
Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA, Slowey NC, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Long-term monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary: 2013 annual report
U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, FGBNMS, Galveston, TX.
N/A
2014
Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA.
Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 2009–2010, volume 1: technical report
U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. OCS Study BOEM 2013-214.
N/A
2013
Johnston MA, Nuttall MF, Eckert RJ, Embesi JA, Slowey NC, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Presentations
Genetically distinct depth-stratified Montastraea cavernosa coral populations on the Belize Barrier Reef harbor relatively
homogenous Symbiodiniaceae communities
48th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting
St. John’s, NL, Canada
2019
Eckert RJ, Reaume A, Voss JD
Oral presentation
Populations of the coral species Montastraea cavernosa lack
vertical connectivity on the Belize Barrier Reef
ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting
San Juan, PR.
2019
Eckert RJ, Studivan MS, Voss JD
Poster presentation
Affordable and ecologically relevant graduate research on the world’s second largest barrier reef? You better Belize it!
HBOI Science Seminar
Ft. Pierce, FL.
2018
Eckert RJ and Studivan MS
Oral presentation
Connected corals: population genetics of Montastraea cavernosa on the Belize Barrier Reef
HBOI Ocean Discovery Center Marine Science Friday
Ft. Pierce, FL.
2018
Eckert RJ
Oral presentation
Breaking point: population genetics reveal a lack of vertical
connectivity of Montastraea cavernosa on the Belize Barrier Reef
47th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting
Corpus Christi, TX.
2018
Eckert RJ, Studivan MS, Voss JD
Oral presentation
Ciguatera fish poisoning in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Conference
Corpus Christi, TX
2013
Eckert RJ, Loeffler C, Robertson A, Johnston MA, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP
Poster presentation
Associational resistance and susceptibility in Solanum carolinense
Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference
Gainesville, FL.
2009
Eckert RJ, Kim T, Underwood N
Poster presentation
Awards
Florida Atlantic University Student Publishing Award
Awarded for 3 publications in 2019
N/A
2020
Florida Atlantic University Presidential Fellow
N/A
N/A
2021 - 2019
Florida State University Dean’s List
N/A
N/A
2009 - 2006
Florida State University President’s List
N/A
N/A
2005
Funding
FAU Presidential Fellowship
$10,000
N/A
2021 - 2019
FAU GPSA Travel Awards
$1,600
N/A
2019 - 2018
FAU Thesis Award
$500
N/A
2018
PADI Foundation Grant
$4,973
N/A
2018
Bess H. Ward Honors Thesis Award
$1,000
N/A
2009
Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship
$14,850
N/A
2009 - 2005
Florida State University Freshman Academic Scholarship
$8,000
N/A
2009 - 2005
Florida State University Freshman AP Scholarship
$500
N/A
2005
Certifications
AAUS Scientific Diver
190’, Trimix
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TDI Technical SCUBA Diver
Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, Trimix 200’
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PADI Trimix Gas Blender
N/A
N/A
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DAN Oxygen delivery, First Aid, and CPR for scuba diving injuries
N/A
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USCG Licensed Merchant Mariner
100 GRT
N/A
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USFWS Motorboat Operator Certification Course
N/A
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Sea-Bird Electronics technician
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NOAA Working SCUBA Diver
N/A
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Skills
DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, Gel electrophoresis, NGS library preparation, Agilent Bioanalyzer (DNA, RNA)
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Bioinformatic analyses, multivariate statistics, and data visualization
R statistical software, Python, Bash, PRIMER7, and CPCe
N/A
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Offshore field research cruise planning, logistics, and execution
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Technical SCUBA diving, operation of Nitrox compressor systems, and Trimix blending
N/A
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Setup, operation, and maintenance of oceanographic equipment
Sea-Bird Electronics, Onset HOBO, YSI
N/A
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Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop
N/A
N/A
N/A
Membership and Service
Mesophotic.org
Content Editor
N/A
2020
International Coral Reef Society
N/A
N/A
2019
HBOI Graduate Student Association
Secretary
Ft. Pierce, FL
2019
Association for the Studies of Limnology and Oceanography
N/A
N/A
2018
Reviewer for:
Scientific Reports
N/A
N/A
References
G.P. Schmahl
Superintendent
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
N/A
- +1 (409) 621–5151
- george.schmahl@noaa.gov